Extraordinary
by kissonthechic
Summary: "So what?" he drawled.


**Disclaimer: **Ichigo and Rukia need to kiss. That is all.**  
Notes: **I'm sorry if you've read this one-shot before. This is a** re-post** because it was taken down the first time due to the curse words in the summary :'( Sorry ! Lesson learned!  
**Rated for: **Language.

* * *

_Extraordinary_

Today was the anniversary of his mother's death.

Karin and Yuzu were probably waiting for him to come home, but for some reason, he was feeling particularly emotional that day. The coffee shop looked exactly the same as it did eight years ago, from all the times that Masaki brought him here for afternoon tea.

The black coffee Ichigo ordered tasted bitter on his tongue, but it was all he could stomach from the menu. So he sat down and sipped his drink wondering, _why the fuck am I such a masochist_?

To his annoyance, he discovered a girl sleeping on his table. It was long established that No One (with a capital N and O) other than him could occupy that seat. It was even clear to the employees here. Her dark, wispy hair lazily spread over the wooden surface.

Ichigo realized that she was only pretending to sleep. He knew better than anyone else the techniques of faking it. Heavy breathing and twitchy movements. Hell, girls did it all the time in his very own bed. Grazing her strands, he slipped a silky lock in his grip and yanked it- almost as hard as he could. She jolted back up and- _oh crap_- maybe she really was sleeping after all.

Fluttery eyes blinked and rosy lips pursed. He was taken aback for a second (because Jesus, he didn't expect her to look like _that_) but then he remembered why he was angry in the first place. Ichigo gave her his best intimidating smirk. His fist slammed down on the table and he told her that she was sitting in _his_ seat. The girl took several moments to snap out of her daze, but once she did, she did _not _look pleased. She retorted with a rather childish remark of stating that she didn't see his name on it.

Ichigo retaliated with an equally childish act of engraving _ICHIGO _on the smooth wood with his pocket knife. He was hoping that she would realize how dangerous he was and run away, but all she did was marvel at whatever the hell she was marveling at. Honestly, that was why he hated people. Weren't human beings beyond annoying giggling?

"So did your parents name you after the fruit they were eating at the moment? Or were they always sadistic?"

Just when he was about to tolerate her presence, she had to use words like 'sadistic.'

"No, they meant it as 'number one protector,' but _evidently_ that backfired."

"At least they put some poetic effort into naming you_,_" she laughed.

He rolled his eyes. Did the Gods out there hate him so much that they would stick an _impudent_ girl in his life just for the sake of their own amusement?

(But truthfully, he was glad that his annual visit here was somewhat disrupted. She was a distraction from his miserable state of mind.)

Instead of an exchange of conversation, she began to talk and he solely listened. He liked the way that she used her hands to emphasize her feelings, and how her voice wasn't sickeningly sweet like other girls. It was kind of refreshing.

Plus it didn't hurt that she was cute too (hey, he _was _a red-blooded male after all).

※※※

Ichigo didn't have a lot of hobbies, but he realized that he spent a lot of time polishing sharp objects. It didn't occur to him that he must've looked like some psycho holding a dagger when she walked in on him. But who the hell was she to just sashay into his home like she owned it anyway?

"First my table, and now my house?_" _He lifted his gaze to her and added, "You really can't stay away from me can you?_" _Because that cocky-son-of-a-bitch side of him decided to kick in.

She was carrying a box full of jasmine scented prayer beads. It was the same fragrance his mother spritzed on everything (furniture, skin, _everything_). It made him absolutely sick to the stomach. He opened his mouth to demand her to leave- along with her stupid prayer beads- but admittedly, he was curious about what she was planning to do.

"You need to release all that inner negativity from your body_," _she finally said as she struggled to balance the box in her small hands. Ichigo felt the sudden impulse to rush over to help her. But he stayed put, and she managed.

He scowled. _"_What? You're going to chant the negative energy out like it has a name?_" _A sly smile crept on her face. At first he didn't know what she was giggling about, but then he caught his reflection on the shiny surface of the knife. He pressed his lips together to rid of the frown that only confirmed his 'inner negativity'.

Ignoring his remark, she demanded the location of the basement like a drill sergeant. Ichigo immediately pointed to the stairs. She proceeded to waddle like a penguin down the flight. Cautiously, he followed her, but when she turned the corner, a shrill shriek followed by a crash was audible.

He leaped in such a heroic manner, he didn't even know he had it in him. She was sprawled on the floor with a mess of scattered beads surrounding her- and she was actually _upset_. Ichigo was completely dumbfounded at first because her body seemed to be in one piece, and how much harm could a carpet do really?

"They're- they're ruined,_" _she finally said. Without even thinking, he reached out to place a hand on her shoulder. She winced and pulled away. He stared at his hand, wondering if her warmth could burn a hole through his flesh.

"I-I can buy you more if you want, just p-please don't cry,_" _he stuttered. Maybe his choice of words weren't the most comforting, but who knew that a girl would ever have the ability to make him _nervous_? When she didn't stop heaving, Ichigo awkwardly put his arms around her quivering body.

And yeah, maybe actions spoke louder than words after all.

※※※

Over the course of a blurred number of days, he found out that her name was Rukia Kuchiki, that she still believed in the Tooth Fairy, and that she absolutely _loved_ bunnies (or rather, one in particular: a ridiculously cute mascot named Chappy).

To be honest, she wasn't his type of girl. She was too loud, too imaginative, and simply too _demanding_. But he realized that she wasn't just a tool anymore when he found himself pathetically _staring _at her while she slept under his warm sheets. He would move that strand of hair that perpetually covered her face to unveil her delicate features. It scared the living shit out of him every time she put on her coat to leave because _"_…don't you get it? I need you here just to _breathe _properly damn it!_" _

So now all he seemed to ask himself was, _what the fuck has gotten into me_? Because this definitely wasn't love.

※※※

"Why do you always do that?_" _Ichigo crossed his arms as she bent over. And no, he wasn't checking out her ass- well, not for a lengthy amount of time at least.

"So other people will have good luck when they find it_."_ She flipped over another penny on the ground. Heads up. He simply couldn't comprehend her logic, but he knew better than to share his thoughts on _luck_.

"_Here." _She got up and took his palm. A dusty penny was pressed against his skin. Ichigo scoffed, but his fingers curled around the coin anyway.

"Tch, maybe you should save some luck for yourself_." _

"I don't need luck, I have everything I want_." _

Ichigo inhaled sharply. It was stuff like this made him feel like complete crap. She was a fucking angel for God's sake, and he'd only ever felt sympathy for his family, himself, and her.

It was scary how she brought out these feelings that he didn't even know he was capable of.

※※※

Rukia liked to hide in Ichigo's closet when she was pissed at him.

No, _really_.

She'd climb right in there and slam the door shut before he could even stick his nose in.

"Come on, I didn't it mean it when I said your drawings looked stupid!_" _(He did mean it, but what was one little white lie?). He banged on the wooden surface with his fist. _"_Open up, will you?_"_

There was a pause before she spoke.

"What the hell are you talking about? You humiliated me in front of Nii-sama, you idiot!_" _her muffled voice hissed.

He dropped his fist and frowned. If she wasn't mad about his remark on her crappy illustrations earlier, then what could she possibly be angry about? Ichigo tried to think back upon today's events, but couldn't recall anything that he did wrong.

"What _about_ him? What the hell did _I_ do?_" _he cried out.

Suddenly, the door slid open just a little bit, leaving a crack for him to see her expression. _"_You kissed me when Byakuya was standing right there!_" _She looked genuinely distraught.

A wave of confusion struck him. His face contorted into a puzzled look. _"_And…_?" _

"Public displays of affection are considered immoral in my family! You can't just grab me and thrust your mouth on mine! What's _wrong_ with you?_" _Her arms waved dramatically.

Now a scowl replaced the bemused look on Ichigo's face. Who was this _Byakuya _guy to dictate whether or not he could kiss Rukia in public? He'd kiss her whenever he wanted to kiss her! _"_Oh yeah? Well what if I did this?_" _Ichigo pried open the door and crawled in on top of her.

She tried to move away, but he had her trapped. "Stop it! You're being a pig_," _she clenched her teeth.

He buried his face into her shoulder and softly nipped at the skin of her neck. _"_And this?_" _She inhaled, digging her fingernails into the makeshift bed to keep from gasping out. His hands found hers and interlocked with them.

"But Nii-sama_-" _she began to murmur.

Ichigo tugged her closer to press his mouth against hers. "So what?" he drawled. "To hell with the Kuchiki rules_. _Unless he busts his ass over here right now and tries to drag you away himself, there's nothing that'll make me let go of you. Got that?_" _

All of her protests melt with another kiss.

※※※

There was a boy named Renji who sometimes liked to snake his way into Rukia's plans. Consequently, Ichigo's plans with her were smothered before he could even propose them…

…and this outraged him greatly.

"His tattoos scream 'delinquent,' he has bright red hair for God's sake, and _his eyebrows look weird!"_ he exclaimed loudly as she was halfway out the door.

She paused and turned to face him. Her eyes managed to blink a couple of times. _"_Jeez I didn't know you were so passionate about eyebrows. Anyway, he's no more of a delinquent than you. And besides, you're in no position to criticize funny hair colour_." _She tapped her chin in thought. _"_Come to think of it, you two are actually kind of similar_." _

Ichigo scoffed at this absurd observation. He refused to be compared to such an atrocity of a creature. _"_We are not!_" _he retorted childishly.

She sighed and walked towards him, grabbing a hold of the scarf around his neck. _"_I've known Renji since forever, so stop worrying. I'll see you tonight okay?_" _

Rukia tip-toed to peck him on the cheek before she headed out.

Thus leaving Ichigo alone, forced to deal with the nagging images of her and Renji frolicking in flowery fields together. Truth be told, he was a little jealous of that red-haired freak. Renji had 'forever' to get to know Rukia, and he was only beginning to get a glimpse into her life.

Plus he couldn't help but notice the longing looks that Renji would often give her. They never lasted for more than a second, but they were definitely there. Ichigo had to remind himself how lucky he was to reach out to her first. Otherwise, her relationship with Renji might've turned into something a bit more intimate than what they had now.

(And as much as Ichigo hated to admit it, Renji was also relatively good looking- another one of his many qualities that irked him.)

He knew that Rukia had portions of her heart to give out. A big fragment of it was dedicated to her older brother, Byakuya, whom she wholly respected. Another chunk went out to Renji, because they grew up together and were extremely close.

He wondered how much of it she was willing to give him.

Rukia had to be shared, but if Ichigo could have it his way, he'd keep her all for himself. That was just the kind of the selfish bastard he was.

※※※

To say that the two of them fought 'a lot' would be an understatement. Bickering back and forth every other second was a more accurate description.

"This shirt is so clearly blue! How can you not see it?_" _she held up the fabric to his face.

"You must be blind or somethin' 'cause it's obviously green. Maybe you should go get your eyes checked!_" _he shouted back.

"Are you serious? The colour blue does not get any bluer than this!_"_

"Well I can feel the inner depths of my fucking soul being cleansed by the _greenness_ of this shirt!_" _

Suddenly, an uncomfortable sales associate took the shirt from her hands and flashed them the tag. _Teal_, it read.

Rukia turned to face him. She narrowed her eyes. _"_Fine!_"_

"Fine!_"_

"Good!_"_

"Good!_"_

Both of them stormed out of the store together.

※※※

It was moments like these when Ichigo felt the L-word threatening to spill out of his throat in the form of stutters and mumbles.

His room was unbearably cold, and she was hogging all the covers, making it impossible to sleep. There was a stillness in the room that made his heart ache for immediate company. Too bad Rukia was already snoring, and he didn't want to disrupt her peaceful slumber just for his sake.

Over the past few months, she's revealed bits and pieces of herself to him. He used to want to know everything about her all at once. He'd ask questions and intently watch her actions. Eventually, he realized that no matter how much he discovered, he'd never be satisfied because she would always have more to tell. He drank up every word that she had to say.

Ichigo's fingers gingerly grazed the exposed skin on her back where her tank top didn't reach. Hesitantly, he began to trace out letters.

_ RUKIA  
_

_MOON_

_HOME_

_ ILOVEYO  
_

Her body suddenly stirred, causing him to jerk his hand back. _"_Ichigo_," _she murmured softly. She shifted her position until she was facing him. _"_What are you doing?_" _Her midnight eyes stared with alarming intensity.

"N-Nothing_," _he clumsily blurted out. _"_Why?_" _

"Oh. I thought I felt something- maybe it was just in my dream_," _she whispered carefully. There was a long pause before she spoke again. _"_You were…in it._" _

A grin broke out on his face_. "_Oh yeah? Was I doing really awesome things in that dream?_" _he simpered (which in turn earned him a light smack on the shoulder).

"You wish. Anyway, the dream just got me thinking about our relationship, so wanna know what I've concluded?_" _She rested her elbow on the mattress to hold her chin up in her palm.

"What is it?_"_

Another excruciating pause.

"I don't think that I love you._"_

Ichigo felt his heart cease to beat. What the hell kind of dream did she have? Was Renji in this epiphanic dream? _"_Rukia what-_"_

Her hand stretched out to touch the center of his chest. She repeatedly outlined the shape of a circle with her finger as she spoke. _"_No, hear me out first. When I think of love, I think of glitter and pink and flowers. But what we have is nothing like that. There should be a word that describes how I feel right now. I-I can't think of one, but I know it isn't love._" _

He squeezed her hand. _"_And why's that?_"_

She moved in closer to kiss his collarbone. _"_Because this is better than love. I can feel it._" _

And for once, he could agree with her.

※※※

"You know what the deal is right?_" _

Ichigo raised his eyebrows at Renji. He really wasn't in the mood to deal with him right now because:

1. Renji was in the way of him and the toaster. Hungry Ichigo meant angry Ichigo  
2. It was eight o'clock in the morning so he was already grouchy  
3. Renji was waiting for Rukia to get ready (and Ichigo never did approve of their one-on-one outings)

"What do you want?" Ichigo yawned. If Renji didn't move aside now, he were going to _make _him move aside.

"If you so much as a hurt a single hair on Rukia's head, I'll kill you,_" _Renji spat out simply.

Ichigo blinked incredulously. _"_You know, I'd like to see you try._"_

He didn't budge. _"_Don't be a smartass. For some unfathomable reason, she seems to like you a lot, so you better not fuck it up._" _

"Renji! Let's go!_" _Rukia's voice hollered.

Renji gave him one last warning look before finally stepping out of the way. _"_Bye Ichigo!_" _she said to him as they slammed the door shut.

Good, now there was nothing standing in between him and glorious food. Ichigo rummaged through his fridge and pulled out a jar of peanut butter.

As much as Renji pissed him off, he were sort of glad that Rukia had people like him in her life. He would do anything to protect her; Ichigo could hear it in the alacrity of his voice, but Renji didn't need to worry about him.

If _he _made Rukia upset, he'd gladly kick his _own_ ass first.

※※※

Although the arguments were high in numbers, they usually never piqued a boiling point. But when the two of them _really _fought, things got ugly very quickly. They would degenerate into relentless, brutal beings that didn't hold back a single thought.

"Why the fuck did you leave last night without telling me? I thought something bad might've happened to you!_"_ Ichigo growled furiously.

She rolled her eyes in contempt. _"_I didn't want to wake you up! Besides when the hell did I need your _permission_ to go out? You don't fucking own me._" _

He slammed his fist against the wall, causing her to flinch. She eyed the redness of his hand as he unfurled it. _"_You could've at least left a note for me! How do you think I felt when I woke up and didn't find you next to me? It _scared_ me, damn it!"

"Don't be a moron! I can take care of myself just fine so stop being _protective_ for me all the time! It's infuriating!_" _she cried out.

A surge of defeat washed over him. _"_Fuck, just please don't disappear like that on me okay? I don't think I can handle another woman disappearing from my life again._" _

Rukia grit her teeth. She wanted so badly to stay mad at Ichigo, but she couldn't, not when he was in this state. Her expression softened. _"_Look, if you're thinking about your mother- don't._" _She took several steps towards him and wrapped her hand over his bruised fist. _"_Because I'm not going to leave your side. Ever. So you're stuck with me whether you like it or not_." _A smile tugged at her lips.

Ichigo leaned forward to close the distance between them. He wanted to savour the strong connection he felt. Every touch was exhilarating.

He didn't care that he was falling for her at dangerous speeds, because this time he wasn't afraid.

※※※

"I'm sorry,_"_ he brushed her cheek with his thumb.

"Me too,_" _she whispered.

There were no lengthy explanations or extravagant make-up gifts given. They didn't need any of that.

※※※

Ichigo found Rukia sitting on top of the roof. She had her chin tucked into her knees while she gazed wistfully ahead. He took the liberty to occupy the seat next to her. _"_Hey._" _

She looked at him, violet eyes gleaming. _"_Ichigo, do you believe in spirits?" she asked in a serious tone.

His eyebrows furrowed. _"_What, you mean like, ghosts?_" _

"Sort of, I guess. But do you think there's some kind of afterlife that awaits us? I know I sound crazy right now, but I can't help but feel like we might've met before elsewhere, y'know?_" _

Ichigo was never one to sit down and ponder impossible questions such as, _"Why do we exist?"_ or better yet, _"What came first? The chicken or the egg?" _('cause personally, he couldn't care less about the reproduction of poultry). But he _did _believe that there was something out there. A force, if you will, that bound people together. He liked to think that Rukia's intrusion on his table so many months ago wasn't just a mere coincidence. Call it fate, or destiny, or whatever. All he knew was that her hand was made to fit his.

"Even if there _is _some continuous cycle of spirits after we die- what's that gotta do with you? You're not leaving this earth any time soon, not if I can help it."

Rukia laughed then shook her head. _"_I don't know. I guess it comforts me to know that…even in death we'll somehow find each other again. We have all the time in the world stretched out in front of us, so why fret about doctors appoints or school exams? I already know what I want. I want to discover extraordinary things, maybe take up some painting classes or something, but most of all, I want to be_ happy." _

Ichigo focused a stern gaze on her. The wind was whipping her hair into a tangled mess, and her lips were pale and chapped from the cold.

But despite all that, she was positively _glowing_. He extended his hand out to tuck a loose strand of hair away from her face.

"Well fuck painting and extraordinary 'cause it's _you_ that I want._" _

**FIN.**

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Reviews are much appreciated :) Thanks for reading!


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